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Personal Finance · head to head

Actual Budget vs Rocket Money

Actual Budget logo

Actual Budget

Personal Finance

Free, open source, local-first envelope budgeting with optional self-hosted sync

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Rocket Money logo

Rocket Money

Personal Finance

Cancel subscriptions and save money automatically

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Actual Budget self-hosting the sync server requires basic comfort with running and updating a small application, which is a real barrier for non-technical users.; Rocket Money successful bill negotiation costs a one time fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings
  • They diverge on capability: Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Rocket Money covers Subscription tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Actual Budget and Rocket Money actually diverge.

Attributes where Actual Budget and Rocket Money differ
AttributeActual BudgetRocket Money
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence fee; optional paid hosted sync and subscription tierfreemium
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb, IOS, Android
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Personal Finance).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Actual Budget

  • Envelope budgeting
  • Local-first data
  • Self-hosted sync
  • Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless
  • Rules engine
  • Reports

Only in Rocket Money

  • Subscription tracking
  • Bill negotiation
  • Automatic savings
  • Spending insights
  • Credit score monitoring
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards
  • Utility providers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Actual Budget

  • A former YNAB user who wants the same envelope method without an ongoing subscriptionnot Rocket Money
  • Someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for syncnot Rocket Money
  • A technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside itnot Rocket Money
  • A user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full YNAB-style subscriptionnot Rocket Money

Rocket Money

  • Finding and cancelling unwanted subscriptionsnot Actual Budget
  • Tracking bills and spending in one appnot Actual Budget
  • Having a third party negotiate down recurring billsnot Actual Budget

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Actual Budget

  • Self-hosting the sync server requires basic comfort with running and updating a small application, which is a real barrier for non-technical users.
  • Bank sync depends on SimpleFIN or GoCardless connectors rather than a broad built-in aggregator network, so coverage of smaller banks varies by region.
  • There is no dedicated customer support line, only community Discord and GitHub issues, which suits technical users but frustrates people expecting vendor support.
  • The mobile apps are less mature than the web and desktop experience, and some budgeting workflows are easier on desktop.
  • Because it is a smaller open source project, feature development depends on maintainer time and community contribution rather than a funded product roadmap.

Rocket Money

  • Successful bill negotiation costs a one time fee of 35% to 60% of the first year's savings
  • Premium is priced on a sliding scale and the help centre publishes no fixed monthly or annual amount, stating rates vary across platforms
  • Custom budget categories, financial goal plans, credit score tracking and real time account syncing are Premium only
  • The Premium free trial is 7 days

Pricing, plan by plan

Actual Budget

Free
  • Actual BudgetFree
    • Full budgeting features
    • Self-hosted sync server
    • Community support only
  • Actual Budget$7.99/month
    • Managed hosted sync
    • Mobile app access
    • No server to maintain

Rocket Money

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Subscription tracking
    • Spending insights
    • Bill reminders
  • Premium$12/month
    • Bill negotiation
    • Subscription cancellation
    • Smart savings

Which should you pick?

Choose Actual Budget if

  • You need envelope budgeting.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want local-first data.
Actual Budget review

Choose Rocket Money if

  • You need subscription tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, IOS, Android.
  • You also want bill negotiation.
Rocket Money review

Questions people ask

Is Actual Budget or Rocket Money better?
Neither clearly leads. Actual Budget starts at Free and Rocket Money at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Actual Budget or Rocket Money?
Actual Budget starts at Free and Rocket Money at Free.
Does Actual Budget or Rocket Money run on more platforms?
Actual Budget runs on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android. Rocket Money runs on Web, IOS, Android.
Can I use Actual Budget for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Actual Budget best used for?
Actual Budget is most often used for a former ynab user who wants the same envelope method without an ongoing subscription, someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for sync, a technically comfortable household running a small self-hosted stack who wants budgeting alongside it, a user who is fine paying a small hosted fee for sync convenience without wanting a full ynab-style subscription. Of those, a former ynab user who wants the same envelope method without an ongoing subscription and someone who wants their financial data to stay on hardware they control, using a home server for sync are not what Rocket Money is typically brought in for.
What can Actual Budget do that Rocket Money cannot?
Actual Budget covers Envelope budgeting, Local-first data, Self-hosted sync, Bank sync via SimpleFIN or GoCardless. Rocket Money covers Subscription tracking, Bill negotiation, Automatic savings, Spending insights.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Actual Budget: Is Actual Budget really free?

The core app and self-hosted sync are free and open source; there is also an optional paid hosted sync subscription if you do not want to run a server.

Rocket Money: Does Rocket Money charge for its basic features?

No. The free tier includes account linking, balance alerts, subscription management, and spend tracking across linked accounts.

Source
Actual Budget: Do I need a server to use it?

Only if you want to sync a budget across multiple devices; a single-device budget works without any server at all.

Rocket Money: What additional features does the premium tier offer?

The premium plan adds subscription cancellation assistance, an automated savings plan, net worth tracking, shared accounts, unlimited budgets, and human support for subscription cancellation and bill negotiation.

Source
Actual Budget: Does it connect to my bank automatically?

Yes, through SimpleFIN or GoCardless connectors, though coverage is narrower than commercial aggregators used by YNAB or Lunch Money.

Rocket Money: What does Rocket Money charge for premium features?

The specific dollar amount and billing cycle for the premium tier are not disclosed on the homepage. Pricing details appear only when signing up in the app.

Source
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